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Surprise when revisiting your older gear. Ever happen to you?

Thought I'd share a surprise and ask if others have experienced something similar when revisiting old gear.

So, my dad visited and commented on my much improved and evolving gear.  He mentioned that he was considering new speakers--he's using some reasonably nice, but now old, three-way JBLs I gave him over a decade ago when I was heavily flirting with multi-channel/surround.  He's not crazy about this stuff and had allocated a fairly limited budget.  He also expressed disappointment in the dwindling number of B&Ms for decent lower-priced gear.

I told him I had a couple of extra sets he could listen to, and, if he liked a pair, he could have them.  He resisted, but I insisted.  I dug out a pair of lightly used B&W 602s3 that I acquired in a bad trade a long time ago.  I used them for very brief periods of time, here and there, would like them for a short while, but found them fatiguing at times and always found some need to rotate/upgrade them out.  There is a chip in the plastic front from the guy I got them from and, so, audiofolk being a picky lot, never thought I'd get enough for them to justify selling them.  Doesn't affect the sound, though.  They went into the "collection."  I downplayed them and gave him my mixed review.

Plopped them on some plant stands almost in the middle of a large room, unhooked a pair of, IMO, very nice towers, and hooked the B&Ws to one of the Cary setups, and we were both blown away.  I had never heard these things even sound close to good as they did.  Never had anywhere near the imaging, bass, non-fatigue-y-ness, or generalized room-filling goodness in any prior setup.  Not that these things all of sudden became the best thing ever, but they sounded many times better than they ever did before and quite livable.  Sure, the gear in front is better than what the B&Ws were usually with, but damn.  I might not have swung for the expensive towers, just lived with these, and bought a nice motorcycle or two with the money saved.

Anyway, dad loved them.  I'll get them boxed up this weekend to ship to him, but they are getting some very enjoyable playtime until then.

Anyone have a similar experience when revisiting old, long upgraded out, gear?  Especially something "below" the level of the new gear?


stfoth
perazzi28's avatar
perazzi28
109 posts
 
I'm in the "club" x 2.  I used a pair of B&W 685's (purchased in 2009) as the front main channels of a 3.1 AV system for a while and as a stand-alone main stereo speakers with some marginal receivers.  Never sounded very involving. Fast forward to a few months ago after a long distance move.  Decided to design a listening room with mostly all new gear including speakers.  While waiting for the new speakers to arrive I plunked the old 685's down with my new electronics.  Yikes was I pleasantly surprised.  They were really alive, great imaging and sounded like a pair of $3K speakers.  Just shows you what electronics can do for a speaker.
Second revelation was with an old vintage tube preamplifier-Precision Fidelity C-4- that I recently had some serious competent work done.  The power supply had been incorrectly modified and needed lots of TLC.  Upon receiving it after repairs it sounded awful but after some discussion and exploring I realized that all of the 12 tubes were crap.  Not wanting to spend a ton of $$ I decided to replace the 6 line stage tubes and have a listen. Wow it is something else altogether now. 
I agree with "whoopycat"  synergy is huge.  Magic can be found in the strangest of places between amplifier and speaker.  Enjoy the Sansui!



lou_setriodes's avatar
lou_setriodes
414 posts
 
Yes, I agree system synergy is one of the most important things.  My story to add is this:  

While awaiting a minor repair to my beloved Music Reference RM5 mkII preamp's mute circuit, a dealer let me borrow what I thought was a lowly Dyna PAS2 preamp.  The repair took a few months to do and I was amazed how good sounding the PAS was on my B&K ST140 amp.  When I got the $1250 RM5 mkII back, I actually preferred the $89 PAS 2.  I guess the PAS2 mated up better with the B&K.  I was then a big believer in the PAS2 and PAS 3 preamps.  
 
mapman's avatar
mapman
15,679 posts
 
Eveything makes a difference with how speakers sound. The fundamental thing to get right first is not just find a "good sounding" amp can merely drive the speakers but a very good amp that can drive the speakers to their max.   Need not cost a fortune these days.  Otherwise you have untapped potential never achieved with any pair of just even decent speakers.  
pmiller115's avatar
pmiller115
25 posts
 
I have had very similar experiences with both speakers and, in one instance, a receiver (a Marantz 2270). At times it makes you wonder why you didn't have that "magic touch" years ago when you first acquired the equipment. Somewhat more aggravating is the query you put yourself through wondering how much money you could have saved over the years chasing what you have now just found you had all the time if you only knew and, secondly, how much enjoyment you potentially missed because of this mis-step. Things like this, I believe, are what makes this hobby as enthralling as it can be - from a line in a Warren Haynes album-  "they keep moving the finish line". If you could easily and quickly get everything you wanted from  a system without study, review, testing, etc. it probably wouldn't be one quarter of the fun that it is.
lou_setriodes's avatar
lou_setriodes
414 posts
 
A lot of people make happiness a moving target.  I'll be happy when I get this amp or that preamp, this speaker or that speaker, etc.  Then they get it and that feeling wears off, sometime quickly.  Then sometimes it doesn't sound great, for whatever reason, and then it's time to try something different.  Whenever I try something different, I need to live with it for a while.  I have found that sometimes the new sound from changing a component isn't always better at the on set, it's just different.  My ear is used to the way the system previously sounded and needs to get used to the way it sounds after making a change.  Sometimes the upgrade is readily apparent, sometimes it takes a little bit of time to adjust.....

Sometimes when I look around at all the used gear in the universe, the thought of acquiring a new piece of gear can be very enticing.  I forget the website, Enjoy the Music or Audio Asylum has pictures of audio gear and they call it Tube Lust, Amp Lust or TT Lust - I guess the images pretty much can be like Stereo Porn......I admit it, my name is Lou and I'm addicted to Stereo Porn :)
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